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| Other Week 14 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI at SEA | CAR at JAX | CHI at WAS | CLE at NYJ | DAL at DET | IND at BAL | KC at DEN | MIA at BUF |
| MIN at SF | NO at ATL | NYG at PHI | OAK at GB | PIT at NE | SD at TEN | STL at CIN | TB at HOU |
Week 14 Game Recap: Arizona Cardinals 21, Seattle Seahawks 42
What you need to know
| Arizona Cardinals |
By falling behind 24-0 after a little more a quarter and half of play, Arizona had to abandon its running game and play catch up for the entire contest. The Cardinals went into halftime down 27-7. In the third quarter, the Cardinals mounted a charge and cut the deficit 27-14. On the ensuing kickoff, Neil Rackers recovered his own onside kick and it appeared the Cardinals had some momentum. However, on the next play Warner threw the third of his five interceptions, and the Seahawks drove the ball 62 yards to go ahead 34-14 putting an end to any thoughts of a Cardinal come from behind victory.
In the fourth quarter, Arizona made a few more mistakes that added to the Seahawk's margin of victory, when the Seattle D returned an interception for a touchdown, and when Arizona's punter Mitch Berger mishandled a punt deep in the Cardinals' territory and was tackled out of the end zone for a safety. Kurt Warner was blitzed often and was under pressure much of the game. He threw five interceptions but did post positive numbers with 28 for 46 and 337 yards, and three touchdowns. One of those interceptions came at a crucial time, when it appeared the game's momentum had swung the Cardinals way late in the third quarter.
Edgerrin James really didn't get anything going from a result of the Cardinals offense needing to come from behind. When called upon James ran hard and found little success behind his offensive line. He finished the game with only 46 yards on 13 carries and no touchdowns.
With Anquan Boldin inactive for this game, Larry Fitzgerald was called upon, but was hobbling throughout the game. He was seen limping several times during the contest, and was clearly affected by his sore groin. However, he did contribute with six catches for 79 yards and one score late in the fourth quarter. Little used, Jerheme Urban was the game's leading receiver with 123 yards on six catches and one score. It was Urban's first career 100 yard game. All the Cardinals' receivers stats were the result of the team needing to play catch up. In the second half, the Cardinals ran only five times.
| Seattle Seahawks |
Seattle was in control of this game from the start, as they scored on their first four possessions (three TDs and a field goal) and took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and a 27-7 lead into the half. The scoring barrage set the tone for the game putting the Cardinals in a come from behind mode for the rest of the game.
In the second half, the team needed just to limit their mistakes and to control the tempo, which they did. In the second half, the offense had the ball only five times and scored on just one of those possessions. However, the Seahawk's defense and special teams came up big scoring with an interception return for a touchdown and a safety late in the fourth quarter.
Matt Hasselbeck played an outstanding game hitting 13 of his first 15 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns. He had 202 yards passing at halftime and finished the game 22 of 33 for 272 yards and four touchdowns. In all, Hasselbeck hit seven different receivers and had good precision of his passes. He threw no interceptions.
Shaun Alexander and Maurice Morris, both had mediocre games stat wise. Morris was the more punishing runner with 13 carries for 36 yards. Alexander had 10 carries for 38 yards. Alexander did break a 25 yard run early in the second quarter.
Deion Branch, Nate Burleson and Bobby Engram: All three had outstanding games and each scored a touchdown in the first half. They found the depleted Cardinal secondary at times of little resistance. Branch ended with three catches for 52 yards; Bobby Engram had four catches for 55 yards, and Nate Burleson had five catches for 50 yards.
What you ought to know
| QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 28 - 46 - 337 - 3 TD / 5 INT |
Warner's stats were the result of playing catch up for the entire game. The Cardinals only ran the ball 16 times in the game. In all, Warner ended the game 28 for 46 for 337 yards and three touchdowns. He hit nine different receivers in the game, but threw five interceptions, and fumbled once. Warner was harassed often but found receivers open when he scrambled. He was sacked five times on the day.
| RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 13 - 46 - 0, Rec: 3 - 24 - 0 (3 targets) |
James was really a non-factor in this game toting the ball only 13 times for 46 yards. His longest run was nine yards. James' stats, or lack of them, were a result of the Cardinals' offense needing to play catch up and the team running a no huddle or a four and sometimes five receiver sets.
| RB J.J. Arrington, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (2 targets) |
Arrington was used mainly in four and five receiver sets and was targeted twice out of the backfield for 22 yards. His longest was 15 yards.
| WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 6 - 79 - 1 (12 targets) |
Fitzgerald, who was a game time decision for this game with a groin injury, gutted it out and caught six passes for 79 yards and one touchdown. He was clearly playing injured in this game and was seen limping several times. The injury affected his play as he was unable to stride out and get separation from his defenders.
| WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 6 - 123 - 1 (7 targets) |
Urban was the Cardinals' leading receiver with six catches for 123 yards and one touchdown, all in the second half. His touchdown catch was a thing of beauty as the pass bounced off his shoulder pads up in the air and Urban was able to maintain control for the touchdown. Urban longest catch was for 38 yards, and he and Warner seemed to have good rhythm on the pass routes.
| WR Steve Breaston, Rec: 4 - 52 - 0 (5 targets) |
Breaston ended the game with four catches for 52 yards, all in the second half during mop up duty. He had one drop on the day.
| WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 1 - 5 - 1 (9 targets) |
In a game where Johnson needed to come up big, he only had one catch for five yards, but it was for a touchdown. Johnson had two dropped passes in the game, and caught only one of the nine balls thrown his way.
| WR Anquan Boldin |
Boldin was inactive for the game due to his injury (a dislocated toe).
| TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 4 - 16 - 0 (6 targets) |
Pope had a quiet day with only four catches for 16 yards. He left the game late in the third quarter after catching his fourth pass with an ankle injury. He was carted off the field with an air cast on his right ankle.
| TE Ben Patrick, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) |
Patrick caught one pass for 11 yards in the red zone.
| PK Neil Rackers 0 - 1 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points |
Rackers missed his only field goal attempt of the game (a 50 yard attempt). He converted all three of his extra points. Late in the third quarter, and after the Cardinals had pulled within 27-14, Rackers recovered his own onside kick to give the Cardinals' the ball.
| ARI Rush Defense |
The Cardinals rush defense played a good game holding the Seahawk running attack to only 80 yards on 28 attempts. The longest rush was a 25 yard run to Shaun Alexander on a fourth and one. They gave up no scores on the day.
| ARI Pass Defense |
The Cardinals pass defense played horrible in this game giving up three touchdown passes in the first half alone. Though injury depleted, they were outmatched by the Seattle passing attack and gave up 272 yards and four touchdowns. They did not have a turnover on the day.
| QB Matt Hasselbeck, Pass: 22 - 33 - 272 - 4 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 3 - 0 |
Hasselbeck started the game hot hitting 13 of his first 15 throws and had 203 yards and three touchdowns at halftime. The offense scored on its first four possessions and five of six first half possessions. Hasselbeck hit seven different receivers and threw the ball with great accuracy. He was in control of the offense from the onset and played a mistake free game.
| RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 13 - 36 - 0, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (3 targets) |
Morris was a more punishing runner in this game, rushing 13 times for 36 yards, but no touchdowns. Morris also contributed with three catches for 26 yards out of the backfield. Morris seems to be running with more determination than Alexander at this stage in the season.
| RB Shaun Alexander, Rush: 10 - 38 - 0 (1 targets) |
Alexander had only ten rushes on the day for 38 yards, and no touchdowns. He was spelled often by Maurice Morris. Alexander's longest run came of a fourth and one, when he burst through the initial Cardinals defense and ran 25 yards down the sideline.
| RB Leonard Weaver, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 4 - 56 - 0 (5 targets) |
While mainly a blocking back for Morris and Alexander, Weaver contributed to the passing offense with four catches for 56 yards including 43 yard screen pass in the second quarter.
| WR Nate Burleson, Rec: 5 - 50 - 1 (5 targets) |
Burleson had a good game catching five balls for 50 yards and one score. Burleson scored the Seahawk's first touchdown in the first period. His longest reception was 25 yards.
| WR Bobby Engram, Rec: 4 - 55 - 1 (5 targets) |
Engram's touchdown was a thing of beauty as he made a diving catch in the front of the end zone. Engram finished the game with four catches for 55 yards and one score. His longest catch was 20 yards. He was targeted mainly over the middle of the Cardinals secondary.
| WR Deion Branch, Rec: 3 - 52 - 1 (4 targets) |
Branch scored a on a 17 yard touchdown catch deep in the end zone. He ended the game with three catches for 52 yards. Branch's longest catch was 31 yards on a deep out pattern.
| WR Ben Obomanu, Rec: 1 - 18 - 0 (2 targets) |
Obomanu caught the only ball thrown his way, an 18 yard catch. The catch resulted in a first down.
| TE Marcus Pollard, Rec: 2 - 15 - 1 (4 targets) |
Pollard had one touchdown catch to put the Seahawk's up 34-14. He finished the game with two catches for 15 yards.
| PK Josh Brown 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points |
Josh Brown was perfect on the day in field goal attempts, hitting two (44 and 23 yards) but converted on only four of his five extra point attempts. On the failed attempt, the snap was high and not handled by the holder.
| SEA Rush Defense |
The rushing defense did a great job of containing James, as the longest run of the day was only nine yards. The defense also contributed to the scoring with a safety as the Cardinal punter Mitch Berger was unable to handle a punt snap deep in their own territory and was tackled out of bounds at the back of the end zone. In total the rush defense gave up only 50 yards on the day, but the stats are skewed a bit by the Cardinals needed to abandon their run game to play catch up.
| SEA Pass Defense |
The Seahawks pass defense was aggressive, and contributed to the scoring onslaught by returning an interception 84 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. In all, the defense gave up 337 yards and three touchdown passes, but had five interceptions on the day. They blitzed Warner often and harassed the quarterback several times, sacking him five times. The longest pass play they gave up was 38 yards to little-used Jerheme Urban, who ended the game as the Cardinals' leading receiver.
